


You Hate Your Pulse Because it Still Thinks You're Alive

by haaaveyoumetted



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe, Because of Reasons, Deputy Allison Argent, Deputy Derek Hale, Emotional Manipulation, Everyone Is Alive, Multi, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Derek, Oblivious Stiles, Past Kate Argent/Derek Hale, Physical Abuse, Tattoo Artist Jennifer, Tattoo Artist Laura, Tattoo Artist Stiles Stilinski, Tattooed Stiles, deputy!Derek, except for claudia stilinski, past stiles/original character, tattoo artist erica
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-05-13
Packaged: 2018-01-24 12:17:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1604858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haaaveyoumetted/pseuds/haaaveyoumetted





	You Hate Your Pulse Because it Still Thinks You're Alive

Stiles wrung his hands together nervously, fidgeting with the collar of his button up and letting out a frustrated sigh. "Pull yourself together Stilinski. You can do this."

No one in Beacon Hills knew that Stiles was back in town yet. He had come home a week earlier than he had originally planned, but there was something he had to do for himself first. He was sitting in his car in front of one of the few tattoo shops in town; had been sitting there for the last twenty minutes trying to muster up the confidence to actually walk inside. 

As he was growing up, his mother had covered their house in her artwork, and he had always been completely captivated by it. When she passed away, the vibrant colors and breathtaking details she had engrained into the canvases seemed to dull and blur together- of course, that hadn't _actually_ physically happened, but he could never look at them the same way. He threw himself into the craft, spending hours learning how to emulate her skills and develop a plethora of his own. By the time he graduated high school, he was one of the most talented students in the art program- not that he ever actually let anyone see his art besides Mrs. Hale, the art teacher. He had begged and practically groveled at her feet to get her to keep it a secret. Talia had been friends with his mother and knew the second he began explaining his reasoning that she understood. 

He spent two years at UC Berkeley, taking the general required classes and stumbling his way through a few extra circulars here and there, only to find he was gravitating towards the art programs- primarily drawing. He figured out relatively quickly that he didn't need a degree to pursue his passion and wasn't going to continue spending thousands of dollars a year to do it if it wasn't necessary. Telling his father about it was going to be the hardest part, and he wanted to break the news to him _after_ he had at least tried to procure a job in the field- which is what brought him to the tattoo shop. 

Tattoos were a relatively new interest for him, only about a year ago he had decided to start getting them, but it felt like something he could actually be very good at and enjoy doing every day. He had no idea how difficult it would actually be to get a job as a tattoo artist or if they were even looking for any new artists, but he figured it was worth a shot. 

Taking a few deep breaths, Stiles picked up his portfolio from the passenger seat and stepped out of the car. He rolled his shoulders and shook out his hands trying to expel the jitteriness that had situated itself just beneath the surface of his skin. The bell above the door chimed as he walked inside and he found his eyes scanning across the walls, immediately feeling in awe of the work hung in various places throughout the shop. 

"Is there something I can help you with?"

His attention was brought back to the task at hand as a woman with sharp features and long dark hair walked up behind the counter. He let his eyes trail over the intricate sleeves of ink that covered both of her arms before snapping his gaze back up to meet her eyes. 

"I hope so? I'm actually looking for work at the moment, and I wanted to stop in to see if you had any open positions", Stiles replied.

The woman raised an eyebrow and her eyes trailed over him from head-to-toe before she responded, "That depends on the type of position you're looking for. We just had an artist quit about a week ago, but other than that..."

Stiles felt his eyes widening slightly as the corners of his lips quirked upward. "That's kind of perfect, actually", he remarked, holding the folder up in front of him with a hopeful expression. 

It was clear the she was surprised, but leaned forward and took it from him curiously. He felt his muscles tensing as she began to flip through the pages- it wasn't very often that he willingly showed his pieces to other people; the last thing he wanted to hear was that deciding to leave school to be an artist had been a mistake- that he wasn't talented enough for that.

In reality, it only took the woman a few minutes to finish looking through the portfolio, but to Stiles it felt like hours. He hadn't realized just how much he actually wanted this until that moment. 

"First of all, what the hell are you doing looking for work at a tattoo shop in the middle of nowhere Beacon Hills when you can draw like _that_? Secondly, when is the soonest you can start?", the woman stated more than asked, an excited glint in her eyes. 

Stiles felt a large smile break out on his face as a startled laugh fell from his lips. "Well I'm from Beacon Hills, so I figured I should probably start out somewhere I'm familiar with. No one really knows that I can draw? besides my art teacher back in high school and the professors I studied under", he explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm back in town indefinitely as of today, so I can start whenever you need me to."

"I should slap you for hiding talent like that for so long, I really should", the woman admonished in what sounded like a found tone. "I'm Laura, by the way. I own the shop, and I'm really, really stoked to have you on board." she added, extending her hand out in front of her. 

"I'm Stiles- and trust me, you don't want to know what my legal name is", he replied, shaking her hand firmly. 

Recognition seemed to dawn on her face as she pulled her hand back, "Wait, Stiles... like, Stilinski?"

"I'm assuming you know my father then", he guessed hesitantly. 

"I don't think there's anyone in Beacon Hills that doesn't at least recognize Sheriff Stilinski", Laura replied. "My mom used to talk about you and your mom all of the time though."

"Oh?"

Laura nodded. "You were always her favorite student- she said that you always wanted her to keep it a secret, and she did... but I was always so into art that she used you as kind of an inspiration for me at times", she continued. "She'll be absolutely ecstatic when she finds out you're working here."

He couldn't quite wrap his head around the concept that back in high school he was an inspiration for another artist- he couldn't even imagine being that _now_ \- but it felt empowering in a way that he wasn't used to experiencing.

They spent the next hour going over paperwork and Laura gave him a tour of the building, as well as acquainting him with the area that would be his when he did the tattooing. He would be working as Laura's apprentice until she felt he was ready to work on his own- she was convinced it would take a few weeks at the most. 

After promising to show up to work in clothes that didn't hide his tattoos and to stop by the Hale house for dinner the following night, he gave Laura a parting hug and left to go surprise his dad at the police station.

xxx

Pulling up in front of the police station always felt like a second home to him. He had spent a lot of time there growing up, especially when he was younger and his dad didn't want to leave him home alone for days at a time. He knew most of the deputies and other employees that worked in the building- they had watched him grow up- but he was anxious to see if there was anyone new to the force, or to the area. There was usually at least one or two every few years.

He walked in the front doors and was immediately greeted by Nora. She had been working the reception desk for as long as he could remember and she immediately stood to greet him. Hurrying around the desk, she pulled him into a tight hug. "Oh Stiles, it's so good to have you back. We've all missed you popping in at random times y'know."

She held his face in both of her hands gently, looking him over like he was something precious, just like she did when he was little. 

"And I've missed popping in and causing trouble... and to make sure dad is eating right. you've all been looking after him right?"

"You know that we have. We all care about his health nearly as much as you do." Nora assured. "Now get in there and go surprise him. We'll catch up later."

He nodded his thanks and walked past the desk and down the hallway. He bumped into a few deputies along the way, stopping to say hello and catch up briefly before politely excusing himself. When he reached his dad's office he knocked and waited for the muffled sound of permission to enter before he opened the door. 

Walking inside, he was surprised to find his father not alone in his office. Two young deputies, looking to be around Stiles' age, were sitting in the chairs in front of his father's desk, and they all turned to look at him as he entered. 

"Stiles?", his father stood immediately, stepping out from behind the desk, disbelief and shock evident on his face as he walked over to Stiles and pulled him into a tight hug, that would have been verging on uncomfortable if it hadn't been almost a year since they had seen each other. 

"What are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be back until next week?", the sheriff asked, completely flabbergasted.

"I was, but I missed home too much to put it off any longer.", he replied with a shrug. "Nora said it's been too quiet around here without me popping in to cause trouble randomly."

One of the deputies laughed, attempting to cover it with a cough and Stiles smirked. "I'll take that as a confirmation." 

The sheriff laughed and slung his arm around his shoulder, turning them to face the two other men in the room. "Son, these are my newest deputies- Parrish and Hale."

Stiles almost felt dizzy with the surge of reactions that tore through his body all at once. Immediately he was pleased because they were both extremely attractive _and_ at least somewhere close to his age. Most of the deputies his dad hired were older- a lot older. Then the name Hale was tossed out, and he kind of wanted to throw up. He was looking at _Derek Hale_ \- Talia's son, his new bosses' brother. He was going to be _having dinner_ with the guy and his family the following night. Things were about to get _very_ interesting. 

"Wow, very nice choices dad. Melissa and I have been telling you for _years_ that you needed to get some eye candy on the force", he said cheekily, winking at Parrish. 

Parrish laughed brightly and Hale bit his lip in an attempt to hide his smile. The sheriff rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his face as he shook his head. "Only my son."

"On that note, I should probably warn you Derek", Stiles continued, catching the deputy's attention. "Laura wouldn't let me leave the shop until I promised to have dinner with your family tomorrow night to catch up. Apparently your mother has missed her favorite art student."

Derek seemed confused momentarily, before a light bulb seemed to spark in his head. " _You_ were the art prodigy she talked to Laura about constantly?"

"Apparently so, yeah. I haven't actually talked to her about it yet, but I doubt any of my work is worthy of such praise. Prodigy is a bit strong of a word.", Stiles replied, trying to will down the flush he could feel rising to spread up his neck and over his cheeks. 

"She hired you, didn't she?", Parrish asked, a knowing look in his eyes. 

"Wha- how did you know that?", Stiles gaped. 

"Just a guess. Laura had an artist that just quit about a week ago and she's been stressing pretty hard. If you went by her shop and stayed long enough for her to talk you into dinner tomorrow, I'm assuming you went there looking for a job.", Parrish replied. "I've been dating her long enough to piece these things together pretty easily."

"Ah, that makes sense. Is it safe to assume you'll be joining us for dinner then?", Stiles questioned. 

Parrish nodded, "I'm going to go finish up some paperwork before I head out", he said, standing. "Nice to finally meet you Stiles, I'll see you tomorrow night." He nodded to the sheriff and Derek before walking out of the room. 

"I should probably start getting my stuff together to head out as well", Derek said. "See you tomorrow, sir, Stiles." He nodded to both of them and shook the sheriff's hand before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. 

"Sounds like we have quite a bit to catch up on", the sheriff said, eyeing Stiles suspiciously. 

Stiles ducked his head guiltily. He never wanted to really hide his art from his dad- but he also didn't want to open old wounds by reminding him of Claudia. 

"I just want to know one thing for now though..."

He nodded, silently prompting his father to continue.

"Are you doing what's going to make you happy- whatever it is exactly that you're doing?"

Without hesitating, Stiles responded. "Yeah, dad. I finally think that I am."

"Good. Then we'll talk specifics later, I'll see at home kiddo."

His dad pulled him into another hug and he let out a sigh of relief. He had gotten through the first day without a hitch; knowing his track record that probably shouldn't have comforted him nearly as much as it did. After saying a round of goodbyes to everyone in the office, he headed home and fell asleep in his childhood bed.


End file.
